Knitting machine



y 4, 1965 M. H. FELKER 3,181,312

KNITTING MACHINE Filed Aug. 51, 1962 2 Sheets-Sheet l r r L l Wy iii .1 lot FIG. I.

INVENTOR. MAURICE H. FELKER ATTORNEYS y 1965 M. H. FELKER 3,181,312

KNITTING MACHINE Filed Aug. 31, 1962 2 Sheets-Sheet 2 FIG. 2.

INVENTOR MAURICE H. FELKER Him-1 if ORN vs United States Patent 3,181,312 KNITTING MACHINE Maurice H. Fellrer, Laheport, N.H., assignor to Scott & Williams, Incorporated, Laconia, NIL, a corporation of Massachusetts Filed Aug. 31, 1962, Ser. No. 220,759 Claims. (Cl. 66-28) This invention relates to knitting machines and particularly to a driving arrangement for circular knitting machines of large diameter.

In knitting machines of large diameters problems arise in the matter of securing proper drive. This is due to the fact that in the knitting of tubular fabrics there is necessarily a separation for the passage of the completed fabrics between the needles, on the one hand, and cooperating elements with respect to which the needles draw stitches. Furthermore, there are necessarily external to these needles and elements the yarn feeding means and the cam assemblies required for their control. Relative rotation between the last mentioned devices and the needles and elements is required, whether the machine is of stationary cylinder or rotating cylinder type. The result of this situation has been the provision of elaborate drive arrangements which have various unsatisfactory characteristics.

One of the difiiculties experienced has been in maintaining the necessary very accurate relationship between the needles and their cooperating elements. If bearing mountings are substantially spaced undesired displacement of rotating parts, or even of stationary parts Which have widely separated mountings, may occur particularly in the case of large machines involving massive parts.

In accordance with the present invention the bearings for the mounting of relatively rotating parts are located close together and in such fashion as to minimize possibility of relative movements. In particular, the desired ends are achieved by providing bearings closely adjacent to the knitting elements and, in particular, external to large diameter annular supporting means for a dial carrying element cooperating with the needles.

The various objects of the invention relate to the attainment of the foregoing, and will become apparent from the following description, read in conjunction with the accompanying drawings, in which:

FIGURE 1 is a vertical axial section taken through one side of a knitting machine embodying the invention, the upper portion of this figure being a section on the surface 1-Il of FIGURE 2; and

FIGURE 2 is a fragmentary plan view illustrating the gearing which maintains spaced parts relatively stationary.

As already noted, the invention is particularly applicable to large circular knitting machines and the machine illustrated is of the type designed to produce large and heavy fabrics and may, for example, be of a type having a large number of feeds, for example twenty-four feeds, more or less. In view of the large number of feeds and the production of heavy fabric, the parts of such a machine are subjected to very large stresses, and it becomes all the more important to provide adequate hearings to insure that the needles and cooperating elements remain properly related to each other during operation to a high degree of precision. As is well known, even very slight relative movements of such elements will produce faulty fabrics. As an example of the type of operation involved, reference may be made to my Patent No. 3,000,199, dated September 19, 1961, which discloses a machine capable of producing heavy pile fabric of the type which may be used for rugs or upholstery. The formation of such a pile fabric involves particularly large stresses. A typical machine of this type may have a needle cylinder of the 3,l3l,3l2 Patented May 4, 1965 order of seventy inches in diameter. Because of the large weight of fabric produced, such a machine is desirably of stationary needle cylinder type to simplify the aspects of the take-up of the fabric produced, and the invention will be particularly described in its application to such a machine. It will become apparent, however, that the invention is also applicable to machines of the rotary cylinder-stationary cam type and to machines producing various types of fabric. In the case of machines for making pile fabrics, the needles may cooperate with movable jacks. In other machines they may cooperate with sinkers or similar elements and/ or dial needles. In any case, however, similar problems arise in the matter of drive and the invention is applicable thereto.

Referring first particularly to FIGURE 1, there is shown at 2 the main base plate of the machine which is supported on legs in usual fashion. This supports the needle cylinder 4 provided with slots 6 for the mounting of sliding needles 8. The base plate 2 provides a main bearing 10 for the annular bevel gear 12 which is driven in conventional fashion by a pinion 14 mounted on a horizontal drive shaft (not shown). It also provides a cylindrical bearing surface 16 to maintain the gear 12 and the parts which it carries in concentric relationship with the needle cylinder.

The base plate 2 supports a housing 18 which is provided with Windows 18 to afford access to the parts therewithin and to permit observation of operation of the machine. At its upper end this housing supports a ring gear 2% which is adjustable to concentric relationship with the axis of the needle cylinder by adjusting screws 22 provided in gears 24 upstanding from the housing. The gear 2t? may be securely clamped in properly adjusted position by the bolts 26.

A sectional ring 28 supports the cam 29 for the operation of the needles. These cams are not detailed since they are conventional and provide needle movements at the various feeds.

Upright posts 30 secured to the gear 12 support a bracket 32 on which is secured the annulus 34 supporting through rods 36 the dial cap 38 which carries the earns 40 for the operation of the elements which cooperate with the needles.

The annulus 34 is provided with a bearing surface 42 facing upwardly and the dial cap 38 is provided with a bearing surface 44 facing downwardly. The annulus 34 is also provided with an outwardly facing cylindrical bearing surface 50. Mounted on the bearing surface 42 is an annular gear 46 of spur type, this gear being provided with a cylindrical surface bearing .against the surface 50 to maintain it concentric with the axis of the needle cylinder and with a plane bearing surface 48 engaging surface 42. An annular member 52 is supported by the gear 46 with intermediate shims 54 to properly locate its vertical position. This carries the ring 56 which has the bearing surface 58 and which supports the dial as which is slotted at 62 for the mounting of the jacks 64 which are acted upon by the cams 40. It may be here remarked that the bearing afforded at 44, 58 may be omitted, if desired, serving merely to stabilize the vertical position of the inner stationary parts. Desirably there is a quite free running clearance at this bearing point. The actual support is afforded at the bearing surfaces 42 and 48.

Posts 66 support from the bracket 32 the bobbin stand 68 which is indicated only fragmentarily but will be understood to be quite massive and necessarily rotating to carry the yarn supply bobbins. The yarn is passed through various openings (not shown) in the rotating assembly.

Reference may now be made to FIGURE 2 which shows one of the several gear assemblies having the function of maintaining the dial stationary though it is supported by the rotating assembly. Desirably there are a plurality of duplicate gear assemblies located symmetrically about the axis of the machine, there being, for example, four of these, though one only is shown in detail. Each of the gear assemblies comprises a pinion 70 to which is secured a second pinion 72. The pinion 70 meshes with the annular gear 20. The pinion 72 meshes with a pinion '74 which, in turn, meshes with the gear 46. These pinions are mounted on studs secured in mounting plates which are in turn secured to the bracket 32. As will be readily understood, pinions are so chosen that, depending upon the pitch diameters of the gears 20 and 46 there will be provided a planetary arrangement such that, as the rotating assembly carrying the pinions revolves the gear 46 will be held stationary.

From the foregoing it will be noted that the stationary main frame of the machine supports the rotating assembly which carries the needle cams and those cams which operate on the elements cooperating with the needles, and which also carries the bobbin stands. The yarns running from the bobbins to the conventional feeding means carried by the cam ring 28 pass along paths which have a fixed relationship to the rotating assembly.

The rotating assembly, in turn, supports the stationary assembly which mounts the dial, the stationary condition of this last assembly being maintained by the planetary gearing arrangement.

What is of main significance in the matter of the invention is the provision of the hearing at the surfaces 42 and 48 at substantially the location of the needles and the parts with which they cooperate despite the very large diameter of the machine. As already noted, these hearing surfaces are located external to the stationary assembly carrying the dial, this being of annular form and providing adequate strength in the light of the massive nature of the parts. It will be noted that there is also a minimum radial distance between the main bearing surface at 10 and that between the surfaces 42 and 48 so that the major component of weight is carried closely vertically directly to the main bearing. The radii of the sets of bearing surfaces 42, 48 and 10, 12 differ only by a small percentage of the diameter of the circle of the needles, this percentage being less than about 25%, and may practically be made 20% or less. The radius of the inner bearing 42, 48 should be at least 65% of the radius of the circle of needles, preferably about 70%. The result is an arrangement which despite large stresses will not yield materially so as to affect the relationships between the knitting elements. The possibility of tilting movement is obviously thus minimized.

It will be evident that various details of construction may be changed without departing from the invention as defined in the following claims.

To exemplify the means referred to in the claims, the mounting means for the needle operating cams may be considered the member 28, the mounting means for the element operating cams may be considered the member 38, the annular means fixedly connecting the mounting means to each other may be considered to comprise, inter alia, the members 12, 30, 32, 34 and 36, the means providing a set of annular bearing surfaces between the connecting means and the needle cylinder may be considered the members 2 and 12 providing the bearing surfaces at It in addition to which bearing surfaces are also provided at 16 by these same members, the means providing a set of annular bearing surfaces between said connecting means and said dial and suspending the dial from said connecting means may be considered as comprising surfaces 42 and 48 and, additionally, the surfaces at 50, to which may be further added the surfaces at 44 and 58, and the means for maintaining the cylinder and dial in fixed angular relationship to each other may be considered the planetary gearing, and the means producing relative rotation between the connecting means and the cylinder may be considered to be the gear 12 and its driving pinion 14. The structural aspects of the foregoing may, of course, be different.

What is claimed is:

1. A large diameter circular knitting machine comprising a slotted needle cylinder, independent needles mounted in a circle slidably in the slots in said cylinder, a dial having radial slots therein, elements mounted in a circle in the last mentioned slots to cooperate with said needles for the formation of stitches, cams external to and operating said needles, mounting means for the needle operating cams, cams located above and operating said elements, mounting means for said element operating cams, annular means fixedly connecting said mounting means to each other, means providing a set of annular bearing surfaces between said connecting means and the needle cylinder, means providing a set of annular bearing surfaces between said connecting means and said dial and suspending said dial from said connecting means, means for maintaining said cylinder and dial in fixed angular relationship to each other, and means producing relative rotation between said connecting means and said cylinder, both sets of said bearing surfaces having radii closely approximating the radii of the circles of the needles and the elements and said radii of the sets of bearing surfaces differing only by a small fraction of the diameter of the circle of the needles.

2. A large diameter circular knitting machine comprising a slotted needle cylinder, independent needles mounted in a circle slidably in the slots in said cylinder, a dial having radial slots therein, elements mounted in a circle in the last mentioned slots to cooperate with said needles for the formation of stitches, cams external to and operating said needles, mounting means for the needle operating cams, cams located above and operating said elements, mounting means for said element operating cams, annular means fixedly connecting said mounting means to each other, means providing a set of annular bearing surfaces between said connecting means and the needle cylinder, means providing a set of annular bearing surfaces between said connecting means and said dial and suspending said dial from said connecting means, means including planetary gearing for maintaining said cylinder and dial in fixed angular relationship to each other, and means producing relative rotation between said connecting means and said cylinder, both sets of said bearing surfaces having radii closely approximating the radii of the circles of the needles and the elements and said radii of the sets of bearing surfaces differing only by a small fraction of the diameter of the circle of the needles.

3. A large diameter circular knitting machine comprising a slotted stationary needle cylinder, independent needles mounted in a circle slidably in the slots in said cylinder, a stationary dial having radial slots therein, elements mounted in a circle in the last mentioned slots to cooperate with said needles for the formation of stitches, cams external to and operating said needles, mounting means for the needle operating cams, cams located above and operating said elements, mounting means for said element operating cams, annular means fixedly connecting said mounting means to each other, means providing a set of annular bearing surfaces between said connecting means and the needle cylinder, means providing a set of annular bearing surfaces between said connecting means and said dial and suspending said dial from said connecting means, means for maintaining said cylinder and dial in fixed angular relationship to each other, and means producing relative rotation between said connecting means and said cylinder, both sets of said bearing surfaces having radii closely approximating the radii of the circles of the needles and the elements and said radii of the sets of bearing surfaces differing only by U a small fraction of the diameter of the circle of the needles.

4. A large diameter circular knitting machine comprising a slotted stationary needle cylinder, independent needles mounted in a circle slidably in the slots in said cylinder, a stationary dial having radial slots therein, elements mounted in a circle in the last mentioned slots to cooperate with said needles for the formation of stitches, cams external to and operating said needles, mounting means for the needle operating cams, cams located above and operating said elements, mounting means for said element operating cams, annular means fixedly connecting said mounting means to each other, means providing a set of annular bearing surfaces between said connecting means and the needle cylinder, means providing a set of annular bearing surfaces between said connecting means and said dial and suspending said dial from said connecting means, means including planetary gearing for maintaining said cylinder and dial in fixed angular relationship to each other, and means producing relative rotation between said connecting means and said cylinder, both sets of said bearing surfaces having radii closely approximating the radii of the circles of the needles and the elements and said radii of the sets of bearing surfaces differing only by a small fraction of the diameter of the circle of the needles.

5. A large diameter circular knitting machine comprising a slotted needle cylinder, independent needles mounted in a circle slidably in the slots in said cylinder, a dial having radial slots therein, elements mounted in a circle in the last mentioned slots to cooperate with said needles for the formation of stitches, earns external to and operating said needles, mounting means for the needle operating cams, cams located above and operating said elements, mounting means for said element operating cams, annular means fixedly connecting said mounting means to each other, means providing a set of annular bearing surfaces between said connecting means and the needle cylinder, means providing a set of annular bearing surfaces between said connecting means and said dial and suspending said dial from said connecting means, means for maintaining said cylinder and dial in fixed angular relationship to each other, and means producing relative rotation between said connecting means and said cylinder, both sets of said bearing surfaces having radii closely approximating the radii of the circles of the needles and the elements with the innermost not less than of the radius of the needle circle and said radii of the sets of bearing surfaces difiering only by less than about 25% of the diameter of the circle of the needles.

References titted by the Examiner UNITED STATES PATENTS 1,317,151 9/19 Ballard 6628 1,481,812 1/24 Simond 6628 2,428,230 9/47 Lawson 66--28 DONALD W. PARKER, Primary Examiner.

RUSSELL C. MADER, Examiner. 

1. A LARGE DIAMETER CIRCULAR KNITTING MACHINE COMPRISING A SLOTTED NEEDLE CYLINDER, INDEPENDENT NEEDLES MOUNTED IN A CIRCLE SLIDABLE IN THE SLOTS IN SAID CYLINDER, A DIAL HAVING RADIAL SLOTS THEREIN, ELEMENTS MOUNTED IN A CIRCLE IN THE LEAST MENTIONED SLOTS TO COOPERATE WITH SAID NEEDLES FOR THE FORMATION OF STITCHES, CAMS EXTERNAL TO AND OPERATING SAID NEEDLES, MOUNTING MEANS FOR THE NEEDLE OPERATING CAMS, CAMS LOCATED ABOVE AND OPERATING SAID ELEMENTS, MOUNTING MEANS FOR SAID ELEMENT OPERATING CAMS, ANNULAR MEANS FIXEDLY CONNECTING SAID MOUNTING MEANS TO EACH OTHER, MEANS PROVIDED A SET OF ANNULAR BEARING SURFACES BTWEEN SAID CONNECTING MEANS AND THE 